English Defence League in Birmingham today (4th July)

[FreddyB]

Indymedia brum article

I'm going there now, no idea what to expect.

 

[Onket]

no idea what to expect.

Really.

 

[FreddyB]

Yeah really, could have been nothing, could have been 500 of the cunts.

As it was there were about a hundred, came up the steps from St Martins Church and went into the sqaure (such as it is) at the main entrance to the bullring.

 

[goosegrease]

From what I can tell they are some sort of patriotic group who are a bit confused as what they stand for. I would put money on there being some sort of fash involvement.

 

[FreddyB]

Football casual types. Very angry very up for it and in Birmingham today if it wasn't for the police penning them in they'd have run riot through the place.

A lot of Asian youth gathered and outnumbered them before long. Could have been very nasty.

 

[Prince Rhyus]

Did anything happen in the end?

Edit: - Oh, something's here - http://classcrisis.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=39

 

[purplex]

http://www . englishdefenceleague . co . uk/2.html

Birmingham Saturday 4th july bullring 3pm Protest against muslim extremists that interupted a British soldier's funeral.***SO FAR IT SOUNDS LIKE WEST MIDLANDS POLICE RUINED THIS EVENT AND GATHERED OUR BRAVE PROTESTERS UP WHILST 8 MUSLIM SCUM ATTACKED ONE OF OUR BRAVE LADS***

 

[purplex]

Just yer average Ingerland supporters

 

[In Bloom]

edit: Nah, fuck it.

 

[FreddyB]

They're coming back

40 of the english defence league were in london yesterday to confront the islamic rd show, the same islamic rd show that converted an 11 yr old white boy ti islam in birmingham last month. because of our presence choudry and his mob of extremists cancelled there wood green event. good news, we are going to chase them down where ever they raise there head. we are gutted we could not be in brum yesterday to stand shoulder to shoulder with u all. we are hearing another march for brum is being planned for 8th august. we will defo be there and bring all our placards and banners. we will push the march against sharia law as a focus. we have already got a 25 seater coming from luton and many other london firms are on it, qpr and arsenal for defo. so everyone who turned ouy yesterday make the effort again for 8th august, details will follow, if we make enough noise as we have in luton the authorities will be worried about backlashes from our communties when making local decisions,god bless

 

[purplex]

Is this all down to pre-season boredom?
Seems to me like a load of football hoolies bandying together for a bit of a hatefest and a potential off.

 

[purplex]

link from the English (& Welsh) Defence League Site
http://www . lionheartuk . blogspot . com/

 

[Pickman's model]

was surprised to see they had a demo in whitechapel last week. the links they have, they're fash - make no bones about it, imo.

 

[JHE]

the links they have, they're fash - make no bones about it, imo.

What links are those?

 

[Pickman's model]

it's a fucking constant disappointment to me that some people here appear entirely unable to read. the link for the english defence league has been posted above. there is but one link from the section of their site cunningly entitled 'links' to another site (there's also the bit about joining their facebook group). that link, to the lionheart blog which has been mentioned, details edl actions and can be taken to be their blog in practice if not in name. the blog's author makes no bones about his views in the post entitled 'my political stance', which can be accessed from one of the links on the rhs of the blog - scroll down. he also links to a number of fascist blogs, including green arrow and gates of vienna. i don't see any links or views expressed there of a political persuasion to give me grounds for believing either the blog's author or the edl are not fascist.

 

[Davo1]

Fat Wigan Mike was there:

http://britishfreedomfighters.blogspot.com/

Nazis, one and all.

 

[butchersapron]

Nope, not nazis one and all. Wigan mike turns up when i open my mail. Open to and already being used by tools - yes. Am i going to get an antifa ticking off now?

 

[Pickman's model]

Nope, not nazis one and all. Wigan mike turns up when i open my mail. Open to and already being used by tools - yes. Am i going to get an antifa ticking off now?

the disorganised fash, like the edl, are quite as much fash as their organised brethren, the bpp, nf and bnp.

 

[butchersapron]

the disorganised fash, like the edl, are quite as much fash as their organised brethren, the bpp, nf and bnp.

They are, these aren't though. They're the struggling UBA. They can''t get 100 together - they're 10 people and hangers on in the internet hoolie crew.

 

[Pickman's model]

They are, these aren't though. They're the struggling UBA. They can''t get 100 together - they're 10 people and hangers on in the internet hoolie crew.

one of the commonalities between fascisms is the theme of national self-renewal and a belief that the nation has become degenerate. this seems to me to be a core plank of the edl platform, such as it is. their chants of 'give us our country back' support this. i described them as disorganised fash, as their politics are by comparison to those of the bnp or nf not well developed, nor are their numbers as yet significant. but it is in my view significant that they are ready, willing and able to take to the streets even in areas which are for any sane fascist (if that's not a contradiction in terms) no go areas like whitechapel. the rise in far-right street activity - and i would class this as such - in recent months does not bode well for the future.

 

[butchersapron]

I think you're wrong and these are your typical intenret crew - they'll get suffocated by the state. They might be elements of fascism in there -they're not fascist, they're just dicks. Fascist are buzzing around though.

 

[butchersapron]

For anti-fascists to follow this rather than working on political stuff in their own communities because there's more chance of a ruck would be the last mistake they ever make.

 

[Pickman's model]

I think you're wrong and these are your typical intenret crew - they'll get suffocated by the state. They might be elements of fascism in there -they're not fascist, they're just dicks. Fascist are buzzing around though.

i am not denying that these are 'internet crew' - frankly much the same could be said of the anarchist movement too, given people's preferred means of organising these days. and i don't deny that groups like edl are likely to be suffocated by the state. many of these people are - again - not hardened and well-read fascists, but people who are on a route of radicalisation, as can be seen from the entries on the lionheart blog. however, where some radicalisation trajectories can be anticipated to lead to (for example) an anarchist position, it's clear where this rather amorphous tendency is going to go for those people who were out in brum and in whitechapel - and where those in positions of authority within the group wish to take it. i for one don't see fascists and dicks as mutually exclusive groups either.

 

[butchersapron]

i am not denying that these are 'internet crew' - frankly much the same could be said of the anarchist movement too, given people's preferred means of organising these days. and i don't deny that groups like edl are likely to be suffocated by the state. many of these people are - again - not hardened and well-read fascists, but people who are on a route of radicalisation, as can be seen from the entries on the lionheart blog. however, where some radicalisation trajectories can be anticipated to lead to (for example) an anarchist position, it's clear where this rather amorphous tendency is going to go for those people who were out in brum and in whitechapel - and where those in positions of authority within the group wish to take it. i for one don't see fascists and dicks as mutually exclusive groups either.

They're not going be met by counter-ops though. (though some individuals might be) They're going to be met by other stuff that undecuts wider radicalisation. I'll admit that i've loost track of what my original argument was here

 

[durruti02]

the vids make this seem pretty useless .. but .. a feeling this could gain momentum .. lots of interesting comments on the videos

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

The greater variety of different fash groups the better imo, the more split their support will become and the less chance they'll get of gaining power.

That said, I'm not in favour of banning demonstrations, but if one is going to consist of people standing shouting "Fuck off!", they probably shouldn't be permitted to organise another one.

On the other hand, I think Anjem Choudhary is a bit of a cunt too.

 

[e19896]

Chants of “No Surrender To The IRA”, “We Want Our Country Back”, “Allah Is A Christian”, “We Want Muslims Out”, and “Lets Go Fucking Mental” do nothing to dispel the image of a few footy firms coming together to cause mayhem in the close season.

The Facebook group is now advertising a further “meeting” in Birmingham on August 8 at 6pm.

http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2009/07/anti-muslim-protestors-demo-in-brum.html

 

[The39thStep]

I think the background to this is that last month Birmingham City Council granted permission to an Islamic group to have some form of street event in the City centre to 'educate youth about Islam.It was the same weekend when England were playing. The speakers at the street meeting were alleged to have made derogatory comments calling white people animals and unfurled a banner saying Jesus was a muslim. Some football supporters came across the meeting and there was a confrontation.

The group that was given permission by the Council was Islam4uk who are believed to be a front for Al-Muhajiroun.There has been a discussion as to whether ban such groups using Council venues or whether it is better to have them out in the open.
Whether this is tactically mistaken or not the danger here is that following Luton this could see a number of set pieces between anti fascists, asian youth and local football supporters boosted by neo nazis. The danger is is that this could at best be a further step in the racialisation of politics that both the fash and Al-Muhajiroun want or at worst another Oldham after which the BNP received a massive boost in its vote.IMO its a sideshow that genuine anti fascists need to give a wide berth to.

 

[The39thStep]

Did anything happen in the end?

Edit: - Oh, something's here - http://classcrisis.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=39

Interesting site with loads of potential if more were set up locally where to pull together pro working class activists?

 

[Divisive Cotton]

link from the English (& Welsh) Defence League Site
http://www . lionheartuk . blogspot . com/

This bit is interesting. what a bunch of muppets:

It was later learned that the small group of London protestors who had stayed about in Wood Green had found out that Choudary had set up his road show in another borough of London, with no Section 60 moving him on. This small group were then joined by several United British Alliance members who then went forward with the protest without notifying anyone else.

They achieved what they set out to achieve,which was to disrupt Choudary and his roadshow, but he called in about 20 of his men which resulted in 'Luke' being badly beaten by about 6 of Choudary's henchmen, and run over by a bus, with him then needing to be taken to hospital unconscious in an ambulance. The pub they had met in was then under siege, being smashed up with things coming through the window at those inside.